In a world where Holocaust denial and distortion is prevalent, and truth is too often overshadowed by misinformation and vicious hate, you have the power to be a beacon of light-a light that preserves the lessons of history and honours the memory of those who lived it.
At a time when schools and public institutions avoid Holocaust education, saying the subject is “too sensitive”, you can help us change this. As a supporter of Yad Vashem UK your generosity empowers us to expand our resources of Holocaust education to counter the virulent rise in antisemitism and hate speech, from the woke, progressive Left and the far Right, particularly since October 7, 2023.
The soft response of many Western governments to the hate marches, and the consequent recent shocking tragic events in Manchester on Yom Kippur and in Bondi Beach, Australia on Chanukah have highlighted the urgent need for education about the truth of the Holocaust, and the need to safeguard the evidence of the Shoah that enables future generations to fight back with knowledge. Falsehoods like claims that death camps were merely “work camps” or that the number of lives lost has been exaggerated are growing louder-and more dangerous.
The President of Israel HE Isaac Herzog stated in a ceremony in July 2024:
‘The Nazis perpetrated three crimes against humanity:
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The massacre – the erasure of lives.
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The concealment – the erasure of evidence.
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The denial – the erasure of memory.’
As the numbers of Holocaust survivors fall, the third crime persists. Holocaust denial and distortion pervade social media, public discourse and classrooms. Help us to stand up to distortion and denial and to safeguard the truth and memory of the Shoah when it is needed most.